Growing up, I spent my summers in France visiting family and one of the best parts about it was getting acquainted with all kinds of French food. Though French food is often known for being sophisticated and refined, my favorite things have always been the approachable rustic dishes, like this French Chocolate Cake, simple enough to be made every day and delicious enough that it needs no other adornment. Made up of just six ingredients, this little cake is so easy to make and irresistibly fudgy. It’s a must-make.
What Ingredients Do You Need for French Chocolate Cake?
Just six! You’ll need:
Semisweet chocolate. The better the chocolate, the better the flavor.
Butter.
White sugar.
Eggs.
Flour. (But just a third cup!)
A pinch of salt.
And some cocoa powder for dusting the pan.
How do You Make French Chocolate Cake?
This cake is based off of melted chocolate and gets its rise from egg whites rather than baking powder or baking soda, so there is a bit of technique here, but it’s simple enough that new bakers can easily handle it.
The first thing you’ll want to do is prepare your pan. This is best done in a springform pan so that you can un-mold it for prettier appearance, but you can serve it straight from a round pan if you don’t mind not being able to lift it out. To prepare the pan, grease it liberally with butter and then dust it with cocoa powder and tap out the excess. Job done.
The next thing is to melt that chocolate. In a double boiler or just a heatproof bowl set over a pan of simmering water, melt together the chopped chocolate and butter until they’re beautifully smooth. Take that bowl off the heat and then whisk in the sugar, the egg yolks, the flour, and the salt. The mixture might appear grainy and thick at this point but it will come together in the end, promise!
In a clean bowl, beat the egg whites until soft peaks form. You don’t need or want stiff peaks here, so keep an eye on the stiffness. A soft peak will hold its shape but flop over when you lift the beater out of the bowl.
Take about a quarter cup of those egg whites and stir them into the chocolate mixture to loosen it up a bit. Then, start folding in the egg whites in two or three batches. It will be streaky and have a strange texture at first, but by the time you finish, it will be lovely and smooth.
Pour that into the prepared pan and bake it until it’s just set. It might seem underdone, but you want the center to have an incredible fudgy texture and it will set up more as it cools.
This is absolutely heavenly with some fresh berries and whipped cream, but it truly doesn’t need anything else. Bon appetit!
Ingredients
12 oz semisweet chocolate, chopped
1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, chopped (plus more for greasing pan)
2/3 cup granulated sugar
5 eggs, yolks and whites separated
1/3 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
Cocoa powder, for dusting pan
Preparation
Preheat oven to 350°F and grease a 9-inch springform pan with butter, then dust with cocoa powder and shake out the excess. Set aside.
Bring a saucepan filled with an inch or two of water to a low simmer. Place a large metal or glass bowl over the top and add the chocolate and butter to the bowl. Stir, stirring occasionally, until melted and smooth.
Remove from heat, then whisk in the sugar, followed by the egg yolks, then flour and salt.
In a clean bowl, whisk the egg whites until soft peaks form. Gently stir about a quarter cup of the egg whites into the chocolate mixture, then gently fold the rest in in 2-3 batches.
Transfer batter to prepared pan and bake until just set, 20-25 minutes.
